China completes construction fusion reactor Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) in Hefei, which is expected to become the world’s most powerful.
Complete the construction the reactor is scheduled to be commissioned by 2027. It is expected to generate 5 times more energy than it consumes. The BEST reactor will be structurally similar to tokamaks.
At plasma temperatures well above the temperature on the surface of the Sun, hydrogen isotopes combine to form a helium molecule and extremely large amounts of energy that can be harnessed. Compared to nuclear fission of atoms, fusion process produces significantly less waste, which is easier to manage.
While most thermonuclear reactors designed to conduct fusion experiments, the BEST reactor will conduct reactions to produce clean energy. It is an intermediate stage between China’s experimental advanced superconducting tokamak EAST and the next-generation demonstration fusion reactor CFEDR.
The reactor will consist of tens of thousands of components with a total weight of about 6 tons. Its size is much larger than the SPARC fusion facility in the United States. Although the BEST reactor will use less powerful magnets than SPARC, it should generate 5 times more energy than it consumes. In particular, SPARC produces only 2 times more energy than it consumes.
The fully assembled reactor is scheduled to be delivered by November 2027. It is not yet known whether China will be able to surpass the United States in terms of higher yields of its fusion technologies Assembling all the components of the BEST reactor will require extreme precision.
Both the accuracy of the installation and the permissible error of the reactor core assembly must not exceed the limits of the millimeter range, which is a difficult task. After that, China plans to proceed with the CFEDR project, which is likely to pave the way for the commercial use of fusion energy.
Source: Interesting Engineering
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